Day 238: Transforming Ego to Empathy - Part 4

"Why do we refuse to empathize with the poor? Is it because we are afraid that if we did, we would have to acknowledge that they cannot necessarily change their situations -- just as we know and understand that it is in fact not easy to change our OWN situation -- and therefore -- it's our responsibility to change the system, to change their situation? "

So how did this fear come to be? How do we so easily ignore the suffering of others? How is it that we want others to empathize with us, and understand how difficult things can be for ourselves, and we go around saying things like 'you can't change who you are', wanting others to accept us 'for who we are', but when it comes to poverty - when it comes to people who are unemployed, homeless, poor -- we want to say it's as simple as them changing who they are and deciding to live differently? How is it that we've come to exist within this point of Ego?

We've spent generations upon generations living alongside poverty, alongside people who aren't able to afford what we have. We see homeless people on the street every day and we have for generations.

And we all know, see, and understand that within the society we enjoy as the people with enough money - our entertainment, our traditions, our priorities, our goals, our dreams, our education, our science, our politics, our religions, our philosophies -- there is a clear acceptance of the existence of poverty and suffering. It's like we've made peace with the existence of people on Earth who do not have, and cannot get access to enough money to live as we do. It's like we've made peace with starvation, with homelessness, with lack. This acceptance is found within our very thoughts that we have every day. I mean, day in and day out -- how much time do we spend thinking about only our own lives, our own needs, our own desires, our own difficulties, our own entertainment, our own pleasure, our own fulfillment?

The answer is quite clearly that we spend most of the time thinking about ourselves, considering only ourselves.

And the reality is that self interest is what drives our current economic system. I mean we can't claim that the system we are participating in, accepting and allowing, and bringing our children into, is a system based on empathy, understanding and compassion toward our fellow humans --- we can't claim that when we have billionaires existing alongside starvation and we cannot guarantee our children that they will have a good quality of life.

The reality is we are products of a system of Ego - a system based on the idea that we're each only responsible for ourselves and our own happiness. We actually know and understand and see that for example making sure everyone has food and a place to live is not a matter of a lack of resources -- it's a matter of our accepted Priorities. Our priority is always - how can I improve my life and achieve happiness for myself and make all my dreams come true? And within having such a priority, we cannot blame the system any way whatsoever. We cannot blame the politicians and the CEOs because we're functioning within the same starting point as they are.

When you look at the job system, the economic system, the education system -- it appears that it's all there to 'support us' -- but in fact we all know that the actual benefactors of the system are a few at the top who reap massive personal profits from our participation and labor, living in luxury and excess while most of us live paycheck to paycheck. We're in fact accepting and allowing ourselves to be the slaves of a few, in exchange for a measure of protection, health, entertainment and security for ourselves and our families. Within this we've accepted and allowed ourselves to be trapped in the Ego of 'survival of the fittest', by the trappings of what we're able to afford with the income we were able to access to our particular circumstances in our lives that enabled us to access a particular job / career - a job that only exists to produce profit for a few at the top who - for generations of time, have maintained control of the earth's resources. All we've ever known is this master-slave relationship of Capitalism where you work your whole life to contribute to the profit of a few people, to be rewarded by gaining access to simple things like having a home and good clothing and food and entertainment and hobbies and comfort. And our vision, our consideration has become so focused on protecting and enhancing our own rewards, our own lives that, that we've accepted the most ludicrous justification of poverty imaginable -- that it's their 'choice' to be poor. Again, in spite of what we know and understand about our own lives in terms of how difficult it is to access opportunities, and how we know and understand that there aren't even enough jobs for everyone.

The reality is that when we say to each other -- 'poverty is not my problem, there's nothing I can do, it's their responsibility to improve their own lives' -- we are actually the System itself, talking to itself, justifying itself - perpetuating the idea that we cannot work together as equals, perpetuating the idea that we're each 'on our own'. And in that - we're perpetuating, we're giving permission for those with the most power, the most control, to keep abusing life in the worst imaginable ways in the name of Profit.

The reality is that our current definitions of the word Empathy, the word Care, the word Compassion, the word Love -- are are defined within values / principles that protect Profit - instead of protecting and supporting Life. The proof of this is in how generation after generation we raise and educate children, have families, perpetuating ourselves, using these words - and yet -- poverty continues, starvation continues, inequality gets worse and worse.

The reality is that we have to really put some effort and self will into investigating what's going on in this world, investigating what is being accepted and allowed, just as I am doing in this blog, and as we are all doing in our Journey to Life blogs as the Desteni group, in order to develop real Empathy and understanding towards others. Empathy not as a feeling based on an idea we have about another's life -- but as a direct Seeing of How someone's circumstance has been manifested in this world.

Desteni I Process LITE is available for free to assist with developing such investigative skills, , and becoming part of the solution this world needs.

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About Me

My name is Matti Freeman and I am an artist, musician and researcher. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and I now live in Kauai, Hawaii.

Earlier in life I was not satisfied with the prescribed way life is lived in this world and so I was looking for something more. When I started studying the Desteni Principles my life changed forever, as with Desteni I found practical tools to give myself a purpose I can stand by no matter what: to participate in creating a Self, a World, an Existence where we are all Free and Equal as Life and no abuse exists.

That may sound like a daunting or impossible goal but it starts with bringing everything back to Self: If I can make my own mind and being a place where I always consider what is best for all and support others to do the same: then I am living my Utmost Potential in this life and I become a Piece of the Peace that Humanity will eventually become.

Enjoy as I share insights, Desteni life hacks, personal stories and more.